But Darling, Stay With Me
by OneShotFun
Summary: Aria's dance date ditches her, and she's alone until a familiar face returns to Rosewood and cheers her up.


A/N: PLEASE don't beat me up if you ship Ezria! Trust me, I like them together, but I feel like the storyline with Riley and Aria was far too short, and it had an open ending for a lot of different solutions. I really hope you don't leave a flame for this story if you're like a hardcore Ezria shipper who gets mad if there's a story about her with anyone but Ezra.

For this reason, you can probably see why I picked this song. Not only is it because I love Sam Smith, but it's also because it clearly states that this _isn't _love (yet). You can interpret that two ways: 1) Aria and Riley stay together and blossom into love, or 2) It's just a one-time thing, and she'll go back to Ezra eventually. I do confess, I admired Riley and Aria together, and their short fling was pretty hot!

But regardless, I hope you enjoy another one of my one-shots, and you should definitely check out my others! I've got a few other pairings you may like, including Ezria (but it's not fluff, it's heartbreak Ezria).

* * *

_Oh won't you stay with me?_

_'Cause you're all I need_

_This ain't love, it's clear to see._

_But darling, stay with me._

STAY WITH ME by Sam Smith

* * *

Heart pounding, Aria stepped outside of the dance. She was supposed to be there with Ezra, showing him off as her date, ignoring any stares they got. But of course, he backed out last minute. It hurt her to know there was something more important to him than establishing their relationship. She thought it would be the day.

Glancing back, she saw Toby Cavanaugh's arms pulling Spencer closer. Their faces were so close, and she almost felt jealous, but it was more of loneliness. Tears started to fill up her eyes, and she left without saying anything. She wished that Ezra was there to hold her the way that Toby held Spencer.

She sat down on the curb, her eyes locking on the road. She was tempted to text Ezra and plead for him to come, but she couldn't. She still couldn't believe that after they worked through all that together (and even forgave him for their staged meeting, and all the lies he told her), he didn't show up. He left her alone that day.

Black shoes appeared on the road she was staring at. She expected the person to keep moving, but they didn't. They stood there, and then she knew it wasn't just some random person. She looked up, and her hazel eyes lit up when she saw Riley, her former fling, standing there.

"Aria."

He held a hand out to help her get up, and she accepted. She stood up, facing him. It was weird that they weren't even discussing their short fling. Even though it was at a bad point in her life, she didn't regret what happened between them. But what confused her was the fact that he was at their school.

"Riley?" Aria choked. "What are you doing here?"

"You told me you went to Rosewood High," he answered, scratching his head. "I figured you wouldn't miss the dance. I heard some people talking about it at this coffee shop. I guess I should have called first, but I wanted to surprise you."

She smiled a little, but asked, "But what if I came here with somebody else?"

"I was willing to take the risk," he said, biting his lip. "But, since you're sitting alone on the curb, I'm guessing you're not here with anybody else, huh?"

"Not tonight," she said weakly. "I'm seeing somebody, though."

"Oh man, it doesn't happen to be the jerk who broke your heart, does it?" Riley asked.

"It does happen to be, and he let me down again tonight," she answered, staring at the floor. "I just wanted him to be here with me tonight, but he couldn't make it, as usual." She paused for a moment before asking with a goofy smile, "Is it too late to cash in that beat up a jerk card?"

Riley grinned widely and said, "It's never too late, but I think you're a tough girl, and you can beat him up yourself. You're tiny, but fearless."

"I'm glad you came," Aria confessed, looking into his eyes. "My friends are all having a good time in there with their dates, but mine didn't show. I needed somebody to talk to."

"Well, is it too late for me to ask you to be my date?" Riley asked. "Just for tonight..."

"I shouldn't..." she mumbled, scratching her head lightly. "I have a boyfriend, Riley. I couldn't take another date to the dance. He would be upset."

"Being my date doesn't mean you're cheating on him," Riley said. "Didn't he upset you by not being here? Upset him back, Montgomery! You're tougher than this."

"I don't know..." she quietly said.

Riley stepped forward, his head leaning so close that their faces were almost touching.

Staying that close distance from her, he pleaded in a hushed whisper, "Stay, Aria."

So, she stayed. Before they stepped inside, Aria sent a text to Ezra telling him that they needed a short break. She didn't know if it meant that they were over for good, but she did know she didn't want to hurt him if she did anything with Riley. Maybe a break would be good for them, since he would have time to realize that he needed to pay more attention to her.

"You know, you look more beautiful than the last time I saw you," he whispered, taking her hands. "It's a shame your boyfriend doesn't get to see you tonight, because he's really missing out on all the gorgeousness of Aria Montgomery."

She blushed and said, "You are such a flirt."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "It's not flirting, it's speaking the truth. I can tell you one thing for sure. Ever since you left, you've been on my mind. You're the only girl I could even think about. I should have found you sooner. I should have found you before that other guy got back into your life. I don't know why I thought I could come back a long time later and pick up where we left off of."

"We can't just jump back in, but we can stay together for now," Aria said with a sincere look. "This is what I need tonight. Somebody who can keep me happy, and you're that person."

"Well, I'm honored to be your person," Riley said with a chuckle.

Just then, a slow song started playing. All the other couples there started moving close together, their bodies swaying with the music. Aria and Riley just stared at each other, and they had no clue what to do. They both had ideas in their heads, but they weren't sure how to act on them.

"Do you want to dance with me, Aria?" Riley finally asked, stretching his hand out.

"I would love to," Aria responded.

Her hands looped around his neck, and his hands met her waist. They danced that night, and she liked it a lot. She did love Ezra, but she didn't love what he did that night. She _did_ love what Riley did that night, though.

"Look, Aria, I don't know if I'll ever see you again, but just in case I don't, I have to do this," Riley began, and ended with a kiss.

He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers gently. She would have felt guilty, but she had already taken a break from Ezra, so she kissed back, and it was a good kiss, she wouldn't lie. She didn't know if what was happening with Riley meant anything, but he sure showed her a good time after convincing her to stay with him.


End file.
